­The suspected gunman was reportedly killed in the shootout with Old Bridge police officers, which took place around 4:00am local time (8:00 GMT) in Pathmark grocery store, on Route 9 near the Sayreville border.

Employees were reportedly stacking shelves in preparation for the shop’s 6 am opening when the shooting broke out.

A preliminary report by authorities identified the suspect as a man in his 20s who was either a former or current employee of the store, and was also a former Marine. US media reports tentatively identified the shooter as Terence Tyler, who had moved in not along ago.

The two victims, a young woman and a man, were both from the township, a local news website quoted Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan as saying. One of the victims, 18-year-old Cristina LoBrutto, had recently graduated from Old Bridge High School. The other, 24-year-old Bryan Breen, was from the Laurence Harbor area of Old Bridge.